Getting Your Songs Heard

We said earlier that you don’t have to be a worship leader to write songs, just a worshiper. But being a worship leader does have its advantages. It gives you a laboratory to try out your new songs, and a platform to have your songs heard. So if you’re not a worship leader, you need to have at least some sort of connection with a church music department, or someone you can show your new songs to who might be able to get them used and heard.

It’s amazing to see how the Lord sometimes opens doors for His children and engineers us into doing things that we never would have expected.

For instance, Paul was content to be just “the guitar guy,” touring with artists and playing in the church worship band. One Sunday his pastor, Albie Pearson, asked him publicly to lead a worship song. He did it reluctantly at ﬁrst, but it was a beginning. Fourteen years later he’s still serving at the same church as a lead worshiper, composer, recording artist and teacher.

Jimmy was a newly converted trumpet player. He volunteered for the church orchestra and was asked to lead the church music department “temporarily.” He was there 15 years. He started composing when the church needed songs on special themes.

Carol was singing in the church’s services and on its broadcasts. She wrote her ﬁrst lyrics when Jimmy was stuck and needed help on a song. They became a songwriting team. This led the two of them to recording, touring and teaching.

And by the way, J.S. Bach was the music director at his local church in Leipzig for 25 years.